The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-05-06

OF white lime. The outside is cover.
ed with ship-lap siding. This leaves
a dead air space, which should not
he filled in with sawdust. The con
tents of silo will not freeze in any
northern State, and the sawdust will
If filled in-gather moisture from
being between the warm ensilage on
the one side, and the cold outer air
on the other, and is damage rather
than a benefit. In localities where
stones and sand are abundant, it
may be best to build concrete walls
for the silo. They may be rough
faced on the inside, and strips of
wood set up, and a lining put on to
make an air.tight space; and afford
better protection from the influence
of the walls. Or the walls may be
cement-faced. OF whatever material
the silo is built, the walls must be
perpendicular, and smooth.faced. so
that the ensilage shall not be resist.
ed in settling. The silo however.
must DO strong enough to withstand
5he lateral pressure of the ensilage.
If built of timber 2xl0 inch stud
ding, set l6 inches apart, will be
none TOO strong. especially if the 81
10 is 16 feet in depth. Now the more
mature folder is put up, there seems
to be no limit to the depth of ensi-
lage that can be safely stored, as
there is no pressing-out of the juice
of the fodder. as was once the result
of deep filling. Twenty feet will
probably be the practical Limit in
depth. The silo should be 80 built
that surrounding water cannot come
in at the bottom, as air proof walls
and a water-tight and air-proof bot
tom are the two first essentials in 81.
10 building. The best way is to put
in cross,sills 2x10 inches, to tie the
footings of the studding, and after
the silo is built. fill in between these
stills with water.lime and small stones
raising it an inch or so above the
level of the stills, making a smooth
level floor.
FILLING THE slLO.
The silo should be twice as long as
wide, aad at least IL to 10 feet deep
This enables it to be filled without
delay, and also insurs the cooking
of the fodder, which is now consider
ed essential. The silo needs a parti.
tion, dividing it INTO equal sized
rooms. An ensilage-cutter Is pro-
vided with a carrier which HOSTS the
cut fodder up over the walls into the
pits The plan is to cut into one
pit one day, say from IL to 80 tons
of green fodder, and by slightly
turning the upper end of the carrier
deposit the next days cutting into
pit No. 2. 1t is not necessary to
tread or tramp the cut fodder. only
to keep it leyel in the boxes. The
tramping should be done along tn e
side and corners, to make the sides
settle as fast as the center No more
fodder should be added until the first
filling has reached temperature of
1850 when another layer is added
The addition OF cold, fresh ensilage
reduces the temperature of the first
to aoout 800, and cannot re-heat or
ferment unless it is again exposed
to the oxygen of the air. This al
ternate filling and heating goes Oh
until the pits are full. The heating
has rarfied The air that was mixed
in with the ensilage, causing it to es.
cape upward, and a very diluted gas
takes its place. The heating has al
so caused the ensilage to settle very
compactly; and at last when the pits
are full, it is only necessary to let
the last days filling heat up, and
then level off the surface of the 81.
lage cover it with strips of tarred
paper well Tapped and cover this
with common rough inch lumber.
This will keep out the air, and all that
is necessary is to weight this cover
with a ton or two of hay, sawdust or
even moist clay. to insure the cover re.
naming firmly upon the mass beneath
as it settles and to prevent the entrance
of the air. Within three weeks the
mass will cool down to about SOC,
where it will remain-a fact that guar
antees it from danger of freezing. |
When ready to feed remove the cover
entire ly from one pit, and feed evenly |
from the surface. It's not advisable |
to open the door at the side of silo all !
the way to the bottom, and begin to
shovel it from the floor. This lets
the air into the side of the ensilage,
and it commences to re-heat. We
have knowledge of two at least, who
opened at the side, and came very
near losing the entire contents of
pit, and only saved it by prompt lew
cling down of the ensilage, and tramp
ing it very hard and restoring it to a
level The side door to silo should
be made in sections of about Is inches
each; these can be removed one by
one, as the surface level is lowered by
feeding.
RARN SIIOS